31st October
by Winterlude
Summary: It's 31st October, 1991. Lily and James have died exactly ten years ago and all the people who have known them - and some who haven't - remember them. Just a short one-shot. Please, R&R.


Remus Lupin is thinking of Lily and James. He's sitting in his kitchen, a soup on the table. His house is dark and quiet. He looks at the soup, then at the calendar on the wall, with that horrible date on it, than at the soup again. He looks outside and he sees it's raining. He bows his head and he chokes back his tears.

Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall are sitting at Albus' desk working on some papers. Suddenly Dumbledore says 'It was exactly...' 'Yes' Minerva cuts him off, without even looking at him. Albus nods and starts looking at the papers again, and he pretends not to see that a sudden drop of water has fallen on Minerva's work.

Horace Slughorn has taken his old photograph album and he is looking at it. He smiles when he finally finds the picture he has been looking for. Lily Evans is smiling and waving on her graduation day. She's beautiful and young, she looks fearless, Slughorn thinks. Then he closes the album, and pretends he doesn't feel that lump in his throat.

Mad-Eye Moody is sitting at Madam Rosmerta's, a glass of Firewhiskey in front of him. 'I had told you, constant vigilance, constant vigilance' he mutters, and he wonders why of all the deaths he has assisted, Lily and James's one is the one that affected him the most. Unable to find an answer, he drinks off his glass.

Severus Snape is in front of Lily and James' grave and he is leaving a flower. Everytime he does, he always says 'It's for Lily'. He feels stupid – talking to a grave! – but he doesn't want Potter to think that it's for him as well. 'I've met your son' he mutters 'I'll protect him. I swear I will' and while he's saying that he feels a gentle breeze on his shoulders.

Sirius Black is in his cell. He doesn't know what day it is, but something is telling that it is _that _day. He tries to focus, to remember James and Lily's faces, but the images are hazy. What was the sound of James' laugh? How did Lily roll her eyes? He is slowly forgetting all of this. He focuses, he focuses even more, and he suddendly hears that laugh, he sees that look. And he realises that as long as he doesn't forget those things, the Dementors will never destroy him.

Peter Pettigrew is in Ron Weasley's hands and he's looking at Harry Potter beside him. For a moment he tries to escape – even though he has seen Harry for almost two months everytime he sees him he thinks that it's James, back from the grave, willing to kill him. But then he remembers that James is dead, that Lily is dead, that nobody – except Sirius – knows the truth. But, unlike the other times, this doesn't reassure him, but saddens him. And if he weren't a rat, he probably would cry.

Ron Weasley is nervously glancing at Harry. His mother has owled him that morning, telling him that Harry's parents have died exactly ten years before. He doesn't know what to say, how to behave. Then he looks at Harry normally drinking his pumpkin juice and he thinks that his best friend must be a hero – not because he has defeated You-Know-Who or anything, but because he has managed to live for ten years without anyone telling him they loved him.

Petunia Dursley is having breakfast with her husband. 'What day is it today?' Vernon suddenly asks '31st October' she immediately answers. 'Is it the day... was this the day...?' Vernon asks, looking at her. She nods and they don't talk anymore, Vernon thinking of his job, Petunia trying not to think about those emerald eyes she will never forget.

Rubeus Hagrid is sitting in his hut and he is talking to his dog. 'It was ten years ago. They died ten years ago. And you know what? Sometimes I forget they are dead. Sometimes I see model of a new broom and I think: gotta tell James. And then I remember he is dead. Dead'

Hermione Granger is sitting in a toilet and she is crying. She is crying because she's alone, she's crying because nobody wants to befriend her, she is crying because Ronald Weasley thinks she's a little know-it-all, she is crying because she is homesick. And she doesn't know that she is crying for all those people who can't manage to do that, she doesn't know that she is crying for Remus and Sirius, for Peter and Hagrid, for Mad-Eye and for Petunia. She doesn't know that in some way she is mourning Lily and James as well.

Harry Potter is not thinking of his parents. Not more than usual, at least. He doesn't know that they died ten years ago. Nobody has ever bothered to tell him. He doesn't know that exactly ten years before his life has changed forever. While he enters in the Great Hall to have dinner, he doesn't know that ten years before his father was playing with him for the last time, that his mother was embracing him for the last time. He doesn't know that, and he doesn't know as well that in one hour time he will be facing a Troll and honouring his parents' memory more than anyone else.

**A/N I had the impression that if I hadn't written it, I would have burst. I hope you'll like it and review it.**


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